Position and Direction - Translation - Presentation

In the realm of mathematics, particularly within the topic of Position and Direction, Year 5 students encounter the concept of translation during their fourth lesson. The term 'translate' may be familiar to students in a different context, but in maths, it refers to moving a shape to a different position on a grid without altering its orientation or size. The lesson starts with a discussion to explore what students already know about the term and how it might apply to shapes and grids. Following this, they engage in a series of activities that involve translating various shapes such as squares, rectangles, and triangles, by a certain number of squares in specified directions, both to the right or left and up or down.

The lesson continues with more complex tasks where students are asked to describe the translation from one shape to another, identifying the exact movements made in terms of squares left or right and up or down. They are also challenged with reasoning questions where they must determine if a translated shape will fit within the confines of a grid or predict the coordinates of the vertices of a translated triangle. The lesson culminates in independent work where students draw the new positions of translated shapes, describe their movements, and engage in problem-solving discussions. The activities aim to deepen their understanding of translation and its effect on the position of shapes, ensuring they grasp that while the location of the shape changes, its dimensions and orientation remain constant.